Water bed mattresses for supporting the weight of a sleeper have been well known and commercially available for some time. Such mattresses have been improved over the years to eliminate various problems including elimination of wave action when the user initially sits on, lays down, or rolls over on the mattress. This wave action has been eliminated by devices such as the use of a baffle to prevent the promulgation of a wave from one side of the mattress to the other. Another approach is to fill the mattress with polyester fiber which is formed into relatively thin sheets and stacked within the watertight envelope that forms the mattress. Yet another approach is to use open cell foam in sheets which are also placed within the vinyl mattress envelope.
One problem with using vinyl baffles is created by the difficulty in retaining them in an equal spacing throughout the envelope which forms the mattress. The problem with open cell foam or polyester fiber is that the water or other liquid contained within the mattress eventually breaks down the fiber or foam, allowing the water to penetrate the flotation bubbles formed therein. This causes the material which forms the fiber or foam to lose its bouyancy and concentrate along the lower surfaces of the envelope for reducing the baffle-like effect of the fiber or foam. Such concentration renders the material useless as a wave dampening device.
Some prior devices use foam material to float the vinyl baffles. While this arrangement has some advantages, it is also subjected to the eventual deterioration of the foam material as mentioned above.
Accordingly, it is the object of the present invention to provide an improved wave dampening device for a water bed which is not susceptible to deterioration in the presence of the water contained therein.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a flotation member that is non-permeable to the liquid of the water bed for floating the baffles used to dampen a wave action therein.